In the conventional model for motion picture film display, the theater operator or other exhibitor is constrained with respect to advertising and promotional content that is shown before or after the main feature. In many conventional motion picture theaters, pre-show time (typically 15 to 20 minutes prior to scheduled showtime) is used for still-frame advertisements or trivia questions and the like. This pre-show content is typically provided as slides, projected to the screen using a carousel slide projector. Intervals of pre-show time are sold to advertisers by the exhibitor, thus allowing local advertisers to show promotional content during the time purchased. Other films containing rolling stock advertisements and trailers are provided by the film distributor to the exhibitor and are spliced together with the feature following instructions provided by the film distributor. Thus, while the local exhibitor can show some amount of local advertising, such as slides, there is limited flexibility available for adapting to audience characteristics, for selling any remaining available advertising space, for making last-minute scheduling changes, or for reporting audience metrics to an advertiser as feedback. In this conventional model, the exhibitor's role is relatively “passive”; the exhibitor follows instructions dictated by the film distributor. Any advertising content that is controlled by the local exhibitor is separately managed via an advertising content provider and is generally presented during seating time between showings.
In this way, the conventional model for advertising content and motion picture film distribution is characterized by rigid control of the entire distribution and display process, allowing minimal or no flexibility for local adaptation. Pre-show content is typically prepared, distributed, and managed on a weekly basis. Pre-show advertising suppliers sell their clients time slots for a particular set of theatre screens based on an estimate of the number of people that will see the advertising content during the pre-show time. This estimate is based upon the projected attendance for a given set of theatres during a period of time. Projected attendance is based on local theater expectations and on the features that are to be played during the stated duration. Pre-show advertising content for each slide can be replaced at suitable intervals, such as once a week, in order to fulfill the contract. Contracts are fulfilled by collecting the actual attendance data, where possible, from each theatre where the pre-show content was shown.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram of a conventional motion picture film distribution system 10. A production studio 20 takes the content from content providers 22 who generate the film feature, rolling stock advertising, trailers, previews, and other content for theater display, typically as separate content films 30. Studio 20 edits, masters, and prepares print films 24 and provides them, through a distribution network 26 to theaters 28. In the conventional model of FIG. 1, studio 20 dictates what is viewed at each theater 28. This control of shown content not only relates to the film feature itself, but to any advertising or trailers, such as previews for future offerings, and the like. In the conventional arrangement, theaters 28 follow the instructions of studio 20 for display of the film feature and other related content. Typically, the operator/owner of theater 28 is required to splice trailers, rolling stock advertising, or other content with the main film feature, so that the film is shown according to specific requirements of studio 20. With the relatively inflexible arrangement shown in FIG. 1, then, there is no opportunity for dynamically adding or changing image content. Local participation and enjoyment of advertising revenues is minimized with this conventional arrangement.
One of the potential benefits of digital cinema relates to how images are stored and displayed from data. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a block diagram of a digital cinema preparation and distribution system 100 for providing motion picture images from a studio 110 to a post production facility 111, which digitizes the motion picture images and provides the digitized images over a transmission system 130 to an exhibition system 140, typically a movie theater. (The post production facility 111 may be under the control of the studio 110, or it may exist (as it typically would) as a separate entity in the overall system 100.) At post production facility 111, digital mastering is performed on film 112 that contains image content, such as the film feature, advertising, trailers, and the like. A datacine system 114 transforms the film content into digital image content and provides the digital image content to a rendering system 118, typically supported by a disk array 120, that renders the motion picture image data in a resolution suitable for distribution and display. Rendering system 118 may also accept input from auxiliary input devices 116 such as data tape, DS tape, and DataCam devices. The fully mastered digital cinema output then is provided as a data stream to transmission system 130, which may utilize a satellite 138 in communication with a transmitter 122 connected to post production facility 111 equipment. Other alternative transmission media include a fiber cable connection 136, or transmission using an optical medium 134, such as DVD or optical disks, or using a magnetic medium 132, such as data tape. At exhibition system 140, the mastered digital image data is received, such as at a receiver 148, an optical media reader 144, a magnetic media reader 142 or over a data or fiber optic cable connection 136. A cinema operating system 146, typically supported by disk array 120, accepts the digital input data, processes the input data stream for presentation, and provides this data for image forming and projection by one or more digital projectors 150.
Among its other anticipated benefits, digital cinema opens up new opportunities to exhibitors for increased advertising revenue. Unlike conventional operation that requires manual management of advertising slides and splicing of rolling stock promotional materials, ads and trailers can be simply programmed for showing at suitable times. Among other advantages, this makes it easier to display locally generated and provided content. Given the new capabilities of digital cinema, then, the exhibitor is now able to take on the role of programmer. The exhibitor can now select suitable advertising and promotional material to precede and follow the feature film and is no longer under the control of the motion picture distributor.
In conventional television programming, a local broadcaster provides a showing by rebroadcasting a show or program provided from a production studio. The local TV station accepts some national advertising provided from the larger TV network and provides the balance of advertising content through local and regional sales. The parameters for including local content are strictly defined, with little or no leeway for local programming changes from the instructions provided by the network. Advertising revenues are established using a probabilistic assessment of viewing audience demographics, based on sampling. Advertisers pay a price based upon the likely “number of impressions” for a preferred audience that can be obtained by airing a commercial message at a given time. However, with the salient exception of “pay-per-view” presentations, only statistically calculated metrics are available for obtaining the number of impressions of interest to advertisers for television viewing. There is no feedback channel for making any accurate measurement of audience demographics with conventional TV programming methods. There is no flexibility available for adapting to audience situations, including spontaneous adjustment of starting times for feature presentations, for example.
It is recognized that it would be valuable for the motion picture exhibitor to take advantage of program scheduling capabilities for obtaining increased advertising revenue and for adapting presented material more suitably to the audience. However, while the exhibitor now has capability to execute a programming role, adapting the TV-based programming model would be constraining and provides few advantages for the exhibitor. For example, TV programming follows rigid scheduling rules, with interruptions to fixed schedules only under special circumstances. Broadcast times themselves are fixed by the major networks, with local affiliate stations operating merely in a re-broadcasting mode. Specific intervals of advertising space are sold with consideration of factors such as time of day, likely audience characteristics, and relative demand. However, with TV, there is no accurate method for assessing the actual number of viewers who watch a particular commercial; statistical estimation is used to approximate the number of impressions, as described above.
Unlike TV, the motion picture theater environment is well known and controlled. Significantly, the number of ticket sales can be quickly determined, so that data of interest to an advertiser, such as “number of impressions” data, can readily be obtained. Other data of interest that may be available can include demographic information about the audience, such as percentage of the audience who are within a certain age grouping, for example. Information on audience conditions, such as percentage of the audience seated, is readily available to theater management. Timing of motion picture showings can allow for some flexibility, such as delaying the start of a feature film until a higher percentage of the audience is seated, for example.
Clearly, the conventional model for motion picture exhibition has developed over time and works profitably. And while digital cinema offers new opportunities for profit, methods of operation must also change accordingly in order to take advantage of these opportunities. Some conventional practices of TV broadcasting could be adapted, but these approaches do not take full advantage of the dynamics of the motion picture exhibition environment.
Tools and techniques for electronic control of scheduling for digital motion pictures and related content have been proposed. One example scheduling tool is the Avica Digital Cinema Manager from Avica Technology Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. (www.avicatech.com). The Avica software maintains an electronic playlist for scheduling feature films, ads, and related content stored on a server within a motion picture exhibition facility. Commonly assigned patent application U.S. Ser. No. 10/309,867 filed 04 Dec. 2002 in the names of Walter C. Bubie et al. and entitled “Streamlined Methods and Systems for Scheduling and Handling Digital Cinema Content in a Multi-Theatre Environment” describes methods for creation, graphic display, and maintenance of electronic playlists stored on a central server for a multi-screen exhibition facility. However, these proposed solutions do not provide methods for competitive bidding to obtain promotional time intervals. Feature film and promotional content are server-resident with these solutions, stored at the exhibition site rather than downloaded for display on an as-needed basis. Using these tools, an operator can make decisions regarding appropriate content for promotional materials such as rolling stock or fixed stock advertising or trailers that accompany a feature film. However, informational guidelines for this promotional material are not provided with the feature film itself.
Due to constraints of conventional motion picture methods, local exhibitors have not been able to take advantage of networked tools for soliciting local promotional material, nor are they able to take advantage of the inherent flexibility offered by digital cinema technology. In one attempt to provide motion picture exhibitors with more flexible advertising options, the disclosure of WIPO application WO 01/13301 (Sprogis) describes a system using HTML structures and tools for providing an alternative to conventional fixed stock slide presentations. The systems and methods of the Sprogis disclosure provide a potentially more animated and versatile display for advertising messages, notices and information on upcoming events, and related information following the model of frames in an internet web browser utility. Utilizing conventional networked tools for web content delivery, the system disclosed by Sprogis not only allows advertisers to regularly update message content, but also enables backchannel reporting of exposures provided for the HTML content. While this type of system can provide a suitable replacement for many types of fixed stock slide presentations, it falls short of a comprehensive solution for integrating promotional content with the overall motion picture experience. For example, separate digital projection equipment is used to project the HTML frames onto the display screen. When scheduled rolling stock, trailers, and motion picture film feature are ready to run, a separate system is used both for control and projection. Thus, any coordination of the overall theater experience must be supplied from outside, using such a system as a sophisticated replacement for slide projection equipment, to be activated at suitable times.
Thus it can be seen that there is a need for a method for programming a motion picture showing and its related advertising materials that integrates different types of entertainment and promotional content and allows adaptation to audience size and other metrics and conditions and that provides additional opportunities for enhancing profitability for motion picture exhibitors.